After the longest of winters, spring always arrives…it just seems to take a long, long time years! So the first spring vegetables to grace the market tables are always a cause for celebration. Last Saturday, I found spring green garlic, which I snapped up, along with last of the season Jerusalem artichokes. The two ended up together in a creamy soup, where the sweet, mild flavor of the chokes worked well with the zip of fresh garlic.
A full blown recipe is hardly worth the effort for most soups, as they are so easy and seldom go astray. I sauteed the whites of the garlic with onions, celery and a carrot, then added the Jerusalem artichokes, just scrubbed and slices, not peeled, then nchicken stock and simmered until everything was very tender. Season well with salt and white pepper, then add a dollop of crème fraîche and a big knob of butter before blending. I didn’t pass the soup though a sieve, as I dont mind a bit of texture, but if you prefer a smooth soup, by all means, sieve.
For a garnish, try a saute of chicken livers with the green garlic tops, de-glaze with a bit of cognac and spoon onto steaming bowls of soup! Miam Miam!
With the remaining green garlic, I tried a very simple side dish of boiled lentils tosses with butter, salt, pepper and green garlic. After boiling the lentils, drain well, then toss with a generous amount of butters, season, and toss in the thinly sliced green garlic…the residual heat of the lentils will gently heat the garlic and preserve its mild flavor! This was a nice accompaniment to roasted breast of farm chicken.
